


Some Helping Hands

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-12
Updated: 2003-04-12
Packaged: 2019-05-30 11:51:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15096146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: CJ helps out.





	Some Helping Hands

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Some Helping Hands**

**by:** Kate and Angie

**Character(s):** CJ, Toby  
**Pairing(s):** CJ/Toby  
**Category(s):** Romance/Humor  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Disclaimer:** They don’t belong to us.  
**Summary:** CJ helps out.  
**Author's Note:** We had a heap of fun writing this (even though time differences meant some very late nights) so we hope you enjoy it.  Thanks to Rhonda for being such a prompt and patient beta, Emma for being insane and making us laugh but especially Nicky, Clare, Claire and Thomas for providing the inspiration.

And Barney is Barney on all three continents - unlike so many other things!

When she got back from the briefing room, Toby was waiting in her office, perched on her couch, hands clasped and staring at his shoes.  He looked up,“CJ?”

“The answer is ‘probably’.”   CJ grinned as she collapsed into her chair and spun around. “I am having a good day and I am NOT going to blow it by agreeing to some hare-brained scheme of yours. On the other hand, nor am I stupid enough to decline what could potentially be something involving expensive food and drink. So...”

“You’re hedging your bets?”

“Yup, I’m hedging my bets.”

She grinned at him again, starting to laugh as a smile crept across his face despite his best efforts.

Toby sighed. “You know me too well, CJ. I’m going to have to learn some new tricks.”

“That you are, Pokey. Now what’s going on?”

He leaned back and stared at her, eyes twinkling as he pondered the best way to get his oldest friend to do something that he just knew she was going to hate. Nothing for it, he had to tell her straight out and appeal to her better nature. At least that tactic had the novelty factor to recommend it.

“Andi has to be out of D.C. this weekend. Her nanny has already booked the time off for a family wedding and she has no one to look after the twins.” He looked at her quickly, deciding to plough on rather than let her say no straight away. “I can’t refuse to help. I know Andi hasn’t let me have them for two days before by myself, but she’s completely stuck.” He took a deep breath. “She made me promise to ask you if you would help.”

CJ began to laugh. Hard. Until tears were running down her face.

“Look, I thought it was a stupid idea too. I mean God knows why she thinks you would be anything but a complete hindrance, Miss Oh-Is-That-A-Baby-Which-Way-Up-Does-It-Go?”  Toby stood quickly and started to pace. “Stop laughing, CJ.  You’re a mad woman.  I don’t need your help.  I can manage just fine on my own.”

He took one last look at her. She had her head down on the desk and great heaving sobs of laughter were still shaking her shoulders. He shook his head and walked from the room.

“You’re gonna need a stun gun to sedate her, Carol.  Do it.  Now!”   He turned back to his office as Carol stared at his retreating form in amazement.

It wasn’t until CJ finished laughing about five minutes later that she realized she had been insulted. Damnit, she knew which way was up on a baby, she had even held one - once.  At least she assumed she had held Hogan as a baby.  There was absolutely no reason for Toby to think she would be a hindrance when it came to babysitting. She had 22 years of schooling  - how hard could two small babies possibly be?

Later that afternoon she walked into Toby’s office and bent down over his desk so she was almost nose to nose with him.  “So you think I’d be no help to you, huh?” she began as she poked him in the chest to emphasize her point.  “You think I’d be a hindrance?” Another poke.  “You think me helping to look after two babies is a stupid idea?” Yet another poke to the chest. “Well I’ve got news for you - I am more than up for the challenge.   I am going to be the best damn babysitter you have ever seen and when you concede this fact at the end of the weekend, you are going to take me out to the fanciest restaurant I can find and buy me the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu!”  Before he had a chance to respond, she turned and left the office.

Toby wasn’t sure what disturbed him more, the fact that he was able to manipulate her so easily or the fact that the whole time she was talking all he could focus on was the enticing swell of her breasts.  Oh well, looked like he was going to have all weekend with her to figure it out.

Toby was standing in his hallway looking at the small mountain of stuff that Andi had deposited there that morning: a double buggy, two highchairs, two car seats, two changing mats, two bags full of numerous changes of clothes for the day,  two equally big bags full of clothes for the night, sheets, blankets, pacifiers, bottles, cans of milk formula, teddy bears, building blocks, a complete family of  dolls,  a whole library of picture books, and of course,  a giant sized pack of Pampers. Toby thanked God he had the cribs already installed in his guest room.

He turned round and looked at his children sitting on the floor transfixed by their favorite Barney video. Well, they got that from Andi. She couldn’t pin a taste for purple dinosaurs on him. A taste for a six foot woman with endless legs and a dirty laugh, well that was all his, and not to be shared... Speaking of which, where was his partner in crime?

He heard a gasping sound coming from his open front door. There was CJ. And the most enormous suitcase he had ever seen.

“Traveling light, CJ?”

She glared at him and dragged the case into the hallway. “I see I’m not the only one.” She took in the mounds of equipment wedged in the narrow space. “Are you sure I didn’t give birth to them?”

“Believe me, you would have remembered if you had.”

CJ clamped her hands over her ears. “Stop! Stop! Don’t tell me. Don’t want to know any gory details. You know what I’m like with that kind of stuff...”

“Well this is going to be interesting,” Toby muttered as he turned back to the little bodies that were sitting on the carpet. WERE sitting on the carpet. Just a few moments ago.

“Where are they? What have you done with them? They were here - just here - how did you make them disappear?”  Toby turned round and round, eyes darting all over as he barked at CJ.

“I haven’t done anything, I only just got here.  You can’t blame this one on me, Toby...Oh I think I see them...”

Toby followed her gaze and ran over to the other side of the room. Ran, and then disappeared screaming behind the dining table with a crash. CJ saw his legs and feet cartwheel over the table top.   There was a moment of silence, then a little voice, “Da?”

CJ walked over to the scene of the accident to be met with two solemn little faces and two pairs of the most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen. They couldn’t be anybody but Toby’s children.

Speaking of Toby, she heard a groan and saw him lying flat on his back surrounded by CD cases. And CDs. Out of their cases.

“CJ, meet Thomas and Nicola. Tom and Nicky meet CJ. You won’t remember her, but she looked at you when you were a week old. Then you cried and she left. Might be worth trying that again...”

“Toby, don’t be pathetic. I only left because Andi needed to feed them. I’m tougher than you think, and quite honestly I think you’re gonna need all they help you can get, judging by the parenting skills you’ve displayed so far.”

One hour later and CJ was slumped on the couch, a baby on each side and the same expression of awe and wonder on her face as the two ten month old children beside her. Barney was still strutting his stuff.

Toby, though, was still sitting stiffly on the floor behind the dining table, softly cursing as he tried to match up CDs to their cases, patching up the broken ones and mopping up the spit soggy covers. The completely trashed case that had been the cause of his acrobatics lay in pieces next to the bin. He’d always hated Andy Williams anyway - he was sure that CJ had planted that there last Christmas as a joke.

“Toby? There’s a smell.”

He sighed. “CJ, you’re gonna have to be more specific than that. What kind of smell?”

“Toby, it’s a bad smell.”

“Well Claudia Jean, that means it may well be time to educate you in the next part of looking after children... the diaper change. Come on, you grab Tom and I’ll get Nicky, you can watch and learn.”

“But Barney is just gonna sing his special song...”

“CJ, you don’t change diapers when it suits you, you do it when it needs to be done. Otherwise bad things happen.”

“What kind of bad things? Oh don’t tell me, I really don’t need to know...But you’re gonna do Tom. I had a friend whose baby boy peed in her eye. I’m not running that risk, if he does it to you, you can to show him how to aim it straight.”

CJ grabbed Toby’s daughter and carried her on her hip into the guest bedroom. “You know, I’m a natural at this, no sweat...”

One minute later.

“Aaaaagh, Toby, it’s leaking out the side. Eeeew gross! Do something Toby, QUICKLY!”

Toby appeared in the doorway, holding Tom. “I thought you said you were a natural, CJ. Don’t hold her like that, you’ll terrify her!”

On cue, Nicky began to cry. Not little sobs, but huge, window shattering screams.

“Toby! Help me!”

Toby laughed. “Calm down, CJ.  She always cries like that. I’m sure she’s gonna perforate my eardrum one of these days. Put her on the changing mat, she likes it on there. She’ll stop crying when she has a clean bottom.”

CJ did as she was told, but the expression on her face told Toby that he was going to pay for this big time. She managed to remove Nicky’s tights and diaper and get her fairly well cleaned up. Sure enough, the little girl had stopped crying and was staring at CJ with a big smile while her chubby little legs waved in the air. CJ stared right back, a soppy grin on her face. She cleaned up the last of the mess and stared at her handiwork. “You know I’ve never seen one of these close up before...”

Toby raised his eyebrows.

“Oh shut up. Why should I have done?” CJ blushed.

“I thought you were a woman of infinite experience, CJ?”

“I am. But there are some things I have yet to try.”

Now it was Toby’s turn to blush.

He needed to distract her. “CJ, have you been eating chocolate? There’s a mark on your t-shirt...”

CJ glanced down...and paled. “That’s not chocolate, Toby. Geez, I’m never going to feel clean again.” She looked at the baby who had turned over and was displaying a different part of her anatomy. “And I’m not so sure I did such a good job on cleaning Nicky, either...No alternative, Toby. We’re all gonna have to have a bath.”

“All?”  Toby looked appalled.

“Yup. We’re in this together, Daddy.  Let’s go.”

CJ placed the naked Nicky in the middle of Toby’s bed and began to rummage in her suitcase.  Toby followed her into the room.

“Explain to me again why we all need to be in the bath.”

CJ shot him one of her withering stares. “These kids need to be bathed at some point today and one of them is covered in something I would rather not have to describe, so now seems like as good a time as any.”

“Okay,” he said slowly. “I’m still not quite sure why we have to be in there too.”

“God, Toby, do I have to explain everything to you?” she sighed in exasperation. “You have a Jacuzzi - a very deep Jacuzzi - and I for one do not intend to break my back leaning over it bathing these kids.  Now go find the bath toys and get your trunks on.”

I’ve descended into hell, Toby thought to himself.  Although as long as hell contained a six foot redhead commanding him to get in the Jacuzzi with her, he supposed he could live in hell. “Bath toys?”

“Yes Toby - bath toys.  Andi packed enough stuff for these kids to go on a six month vacation to a desert island, so I’m guessing somewhere in that pile out there are bath toys.”

Taking Tom with him, he ventured back to the living room and proceeded to look through the bags that now littered the floor, and sure enough in the last one there was a bag of plastic animals and boats.

Armed with the bath toys, Toby went back to the bedroom to face his next dilemma - how to explain to CJ that he didn’t actually own any swimwear.  Of course she had anticipated this problem and stood there holding the small bright red lycra trunks she had bought him as a joke Christmas present twelve years ago.

“No! NO way am I wearing those - especially in front of you!”   He could only  imagine the torment and ridicule she would subject him to if he had to squeeze that particular part of his anatomy into that scrap of material.

“What do you mean especially in front of me?  Toby, I have just been through your drawers and these are the closest thing to swimwear you own - now get’em on while I go run the bath,” she said as she grabbed Nicky and the bath toys.

All Toby could look at was the curve of her rear just poking out from under the t-shirt she obviously intended to wear in the tub.  

Five minutes later Toby entered the bathroom to find CJ happily splashing in the Jacuzzi with Nicky.  She looked him over from head to toe and gave him a very saucy wolf whistle.  “Looking fine there, Pokey,” she said barely containing her laughter.  His bright red trunks were leaving very little to the imagination and his face was beginning to match them.

“Not bad yourself, CJ,” he said looking pointedly at her now very see through, white t-shirt, hoping to embarrass her as much as she was embarrassing him.  Unfortunately the woman seemed immune to embarrassment.

“Never had any complaints,” she said looking down at her breasts.  What she didn’t realize was how much the thought of Toby looking at them was turning her on.  “Get in here,” she demanded.

Toby and Tom joined the girls in the tub and automatically commandeered all the boats - ‘building their fleet,’ Toby explained.

“And why exactly would you two be needing a fleet?” CJ asked amused at this childlike side of Toby.

“Protection,” he explained simply.

“Protection from what?” she asked not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“From the beautiful mermaids who are out to destroy our well balanced existence,” he said looking at her meaningfully.

“Ah,” she said looking at him equally intently.  “Gotta watch out for those mermaids, once they set their sights on you, you’re under their spell forever.”

They sat there staring at each other for what seemed like ages but was probably less than thirty seconds - the spell broken by the small plastic duck Tom hurled at CJ.

“It’s a Ziegler conspiracy,” she said leaning forward to tickle the slippery little boy.

They splashed and played in the bath for the next fifteen minutes until all four of them began to resemble prunes.  What neither of them had thought about, though, was how they were going to get two small, slippery children out of the bath.  After contemplating the situation, CJ handed Nicky to Toby and climbed out of the tub.

Toby had to suck in his breath and rearrange his children because seeing her long body encased in only a pair of satin panties and a wet t-shirt clinging to every curve of her spectacular body sent his libido into overdrive.  “Ah, CJ” he croaked, “it may have escaped your notice, but the aim was to get all four of us out of the tub.”

CJ considered messing with his mind, but by the looks of him the sight of her had messed him up enough.  She smiled at him. “I thought I’d throw a robe on and take the kids one at a time and then you could get out.” She smiled sweetly, having a feeling he might need the extra time in the tub to pull himself together.  She turned and left the bathroom, not bothering to pull the t-shirt down at the back and swinging her hips a little more than usual.

In the time it took Toby to clean up the bathroom and compose his thoughts  - and his body - CJ had managed to dry and dress both herself and the children. Toby was aware of a grudging respect forming for his friend. As far as he knew, she’d had no experience of babies at all, yet she was coping at least as well as he was. He could hear her playing with them in the living room, singing some kind of bizarre nonsense song of her own devising, and he could hear the twins’ childish laughter as she crawled after them. 

He had just pulled on his pants when he heard CJ calling him.

“Toby! I need you here in about a minute ago... ow!”

He ran barefoot and bare-chested into the living room to see CJ flat on the floor with Tom lying on her chest, his hands clamped firmly to the side of her head and his mouth attached to her nose. Sucking. Nicky had wiggled her head up CJ’s shirt and was making soggy squelching noises on her stomach. CJ was stuck, not sure which child to try and remove first and finding it unbearably ticklish and more and more painful.

Toby snorted with laughter. “They love you, CJ!” He looked around frantically then spied Andi’s camera on the desk, grabbed it and took a photo before CJ could notice. Blackmail material for later. “You never know when you might need it,” he thought.

“Toby!” screamed CJ.  “I need you NOW!”

“How long have I been waiting to hear you say that?” he muttered as he broke the seal of Tom’s mouth on CJ’s nose and lifted him clear.

“What did you say?” CJ lifted her shirt to get access to the other Ziegler offspring and prise her off. “Oh I am so soggy and yucky and I need to shower.” CJ stopped as Nicky threw her arms around her neck and cuddled into her. 

“Hey, you are a sweetheart, aren’t you?” She grinned at the little girl and wrapped both arms around her to hug her tightly. CJ sat up, still holding Nicky to her and looked at Toby. He was gazing at her, a smile playing on his lips as Tom’s little hands pulled on his beard and she saw a warmth in his eyes that she hadn’t noticed before. The view of his chest wasn’t to be sniffed at either. It occurred to her that he really had a very fine body and that clothes didn’t seem to do it justice.

“Well, I think it’s lunchtime and then a trip to the park. We can’t waste the sunshine. Come on. Into the kitchen everyone.”

“Okay, but I really think you need to get dressed now, Toby.”

“What’s the matter CJ, finding me hard to resist?” Toby bent down and kissed the top of CJ’s head, before grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet. He handed Tom to her and went back to the bedroom to finish dressing.

“I don’t know, kids. What am I going to do about your Dad? He’s almost as cute as you are.” CJ sighed as she carried both children into the kitchen and strapped them into their highchairs. “But don’t tell him I said so ...”

Lunch went surprisingly smoothly. Toby had fed his children finger sandwiches in the middle of the day every other Sunday for the last few months. CJ watched as he expertly tied their bibs and kept their sippy-cups upright on the high chair. She leaned her chin in her hand and considered the man before her. She knew Toby had always wanted to be a father and that he had been delighted when Andi told him his dream was going to come true. He showed an ease with Tom and Nicky that would amaze his colleagues and a lightness of spirit that made her glow as she watched him. CJ was sad for Toby that he couldn’t be with his children every day, but was secretly pleased that it gave her this chance to spend time with them. She had known that she would manage better than most of her friends would give her credit, but she did wonder just how much the enjoyment of the situation could be attributed to the children or to the fact that it was Toby and Toby’s children who she was spending her precious weekend with.

CJ cleared the table while Toby wiped Tom and Nicky’s faces and hands clean.

“Leave the rest, CJ. We’ll clear up later. Let’s get to the park before it gets too late. The kids will nap in the stroller on the way. I just have to remember how to put the thing up. It gets me every time.” He looked at her and smiled. “Just in case I forget later...thank you.”

“For what?” she grinned back at him.

“For this... for helping . . for being here.”   He squeezed her hand gently before going out into the hall to fight with the stroller.

CJ looked at Tom and Nicky. “Okay, guys, I reckon we have plenty of time for Barney to tell us how much he loves us if your Daddy is going to be putting your stroller together. Maybe we’ll have time to start again from the beginning. That will be a treat, won’t it?”

She carried a baby on each hip and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her.  There was Toby looking like he was being swallowed whole by the stroller.  And from this angle she was getting quite a good look at his firm rear end.  So far, this weekend had been a bit of a revelation for CJ, not only had she learnt that her mothering skills weren’t as appalling as she had expected but more importantly her best friend was a very attractive man and seeing him in father mode was making her feel a whole range of emotions she had never attached to Toby, not the least of which was lust.

CJ felt this was far too good an opportunity to pass up and after placing the children at her feet, she reached for the camera.  The minute the flash went off Toby knew what she had done and jumped up ready to start abusing, threatening and bribing her into never showing anyone that photo.  Unfortunately, the quick action meant he lost his footing and Toby and the stroller went toppling over so that he was lying underneath it, flat on his back.

CJ bent over him with a wicked grin on her face and took another photo.

“I swear to God, CJ....”  He began to launch into a tirade.

“Ah ah ah Toby there are impressionable young ears around,” she admonished him, laughing as she picked up the babies and sat on the sofa with a baby either side of her.  She decided against another viewing of Barney, Toby trying to put up the stroller was providing more entertainment than an army of purple dinosaurs.

Fifteen minutes later they had the kids loaded into the stroller.  “Isn’t it missing a wheel?” CJ asked, studying the stroller as she walked around it.

“It’s a jogging stroller,” Toby explained

“They make strollers for jogging?  We’re not going to have to jog are we ‘cause you know, I’m into exercise, but I didn’t bring my sports bra and my boobs just bounce all over the place if I run in anything else,” she explained straight faced.

“Okay, that was a visual I didn’t need,” Toby groaned under his breath. “Just get our coats, CJ.  I don’t venture outdoors unless I have to - I think it’s a pretty safe bet there won’t be any jogging involved in today’s expedition.”

CJ returned with the coats.  “I think we should take the kids jackets too,” she said. “It’s sunny at the moment, but it could get cold.” She went to get the babies’ coats.

When she returned, Toby said, “I think I’ll just make up a couple of bottles - that way if they get hungry we don’t have to cut our trip out short.”

A couple of minutes later Toby returned with two bottles in an insulated flask.  “What about diapers \- we should take some diapers and wipes? We don’t want a repeat performance of this afternoon and get caught short.”

While CJ had been getting the diapers, Toby had thought about the dirty diaper incident earlier in the day. “I think we had better take a change of clothes for them,” he said as she placed the diapers in the basket under the stroller. “We don’t want to get caught short on those either.”

As he stuffed the clothes into the bulging basket, CJ said, “What about some toys?  We don’t want to get there and have them bored because there is nothing for them to do.”  The last of her words were muffled as she stuck her head into the giant toy bag Andi had sent over.  She pulled out several of the more brightly colored toys and handed them to Toby to put in the bottom of the stroller.

“Right. Ok then, I think we’re ready to go, kids,” he said brightly as he looked down at his offspring who had both fallen sound asleep while waiting for CJ and Toby to get ready.

Toby looked up at CJ and they both shrugged.  

“Some kids just have no patience,” CJ said as she walked through the front door leaving Toby  to push the two sleeping babies to the park.

The sun was warm on their faces as they walked down the path leading to the children’s play area. Toby was pushing the stroller and CJ put her arm around his waist and leaned her head briefly on his shoulder as they came to a stop. The children were still sleeping peacefully, so they parked the stroller at a bench and sat down. 

CJ stretched languidly and yawned.   “Oh to be back in the time of a daytime nap,” she murmured.

“Why don’t you put your head down for a few minutes, CJ? I promise to stay awake to repel all invaders. Go on...you’ve had the unaccustomed experience of baby bodily functions to deal with today and that’s enough to tire even a woman of your stamina and fortitude.”

“You sure?  You’re not gonna paint my face while I’m asleep? Or run away when I’m not looking?”

“Speechwriter’s honor!”  Toby put his hand on his heart and smiled softly at her.

“Well okay. But if you tell anybody that I was a wuss, then I’m gonna wreak a terrible and exacting revenge. Consider yourself warned!”   And with that she stretched her legs out on the rest of the bench and placed her head carefully in his lap.

“Mmm. . ,  nice,” she whispered as she closed her eyes.

Toby considered himself as happy as a Ziegler could be. Gorgeous woman asleep on his lap and children - his children - asleep in their stroller next to him.

Now he just had to stay awake... . .

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”

Toby shot up, unceremoniously dumping a still sleeping CJ onto the ground as he leapt to his feet.

“What is it? What is it?” he looked around, desperately trying to place the source of the scream.

Nicky sat in the stroller, tears streaming down her face as Tom stared at her, handfuls of  his sister’s dark curls clenched in his chubby fist. Toby bent down and tried to prise open Tom’s fingers to release the hair.

“CJ, help me here, come on,” he yelled, turning to look in the direction of the bench. CJ was lying on the ground... still asleep.

“Oh Heaven help me,” he muttered and poked her with his shoe. “It’s unnatural how she does that.”

CJ rolled over and stared at the sky.   “Where am I and what is that ungodly noise?”

“You are here with me - supposedly in loco parentis, but actually completely oblivious. For God’s sake give me a hand here. Tom is pulling Nicky’s hair out by the roots and Ziegler hair is not known for its staying power.”

CJ crawled over to the buggy, looked Tom straight in the eye and sucked on his nose. He let go of Nicky’s hair with a roar of laughter and grabbed hold of CJ’s ears.

“Revenge is sweet, my boy,” she sniggered as she let go of his nose and rained kisses down onto his cheeks. He raised his arms to her, and she undid his straps and lifted him laughing high into the air.

“Da da...”  Nicky was squealing at Toby who was watching CJ and Tom, his mouth hanging open.  He picked up his daughter and turned to his friend.

“How do you do that?”

“What?”

“That - just that. How do you turn everyone you meet into your slave?”

She smirked at him. “Are you my slave, Toby?” She batted her eyelashes.

“You’re doing it on purpose, CJ!”

“Now what?”

“Stop flirting with me!”

Toby walked over to the swings and put Nicky in one of them.  Nicky’s hands gripped the bar and she waved her legs as he pushed her gently.

“Come on, Tom.  We’re not going to miss out.” CJ sat on one of the older kids’ swings with Tom on her lap. She pushed off from the ground, holding him tightly to her and enjoying the sound of his laughter.

Toby took the camera out of his pocket and took some photos of his children with the Press Secretary of the President of the United States. “One for the scrap book,” he thought, “and maybe for my wallet.”

After the swings it was the slide, and after the slide it was the round-a-bout. The twins sat in their stroller with their bottles, watching while Toby and CJ sat on a seesaw, each trying to fire the other off by slamming their feet into the ground as they landed.

Toby hadn’t laughed as much in years.

As the temperature began to cool, they decided to head for home. Toby had promised to cook the twins favorite for CJ; spaghetti followed by mashed banana. She could hardly wait.

Once they returned home and unpacked from their adventure at the park they sat the kids in front of a ‘Bear in the Big Blue House’ video and CJ realized she hadn’t felt this exhausted for a very long time.  Working eighty hours a week in the White House was a breeze in comparison to looking after two ten month old children.  She looked at her watch, surely it must be close to their bedtime - bedtime - Toby had two rooms - the twins were occupying one and the other was his.

“Ah, Toby,” she called out to him, “where am I sleeping?”

He stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room with a look on his face that clearly showed CJ that he hadn’t thought of this either.  “Um . . I guess you can have my room and I’ll take the couch.”

“Oh....okay then” she said a little disappointed.  What she was disappointed about she wasn’t quite sure.

“You want to come in here and maybe help me get the kids’ dinner ready?” He asked her sarcastically.

“Is there wine in there?” she asked, indicating the kitchen with her head.

“Yes.”

“Help is on its way,” she said springing from the couch.

CJ, Toby discovered, was about as useful in the kitchen as the twins.  After ten minutes of watching her accomplish nothing but a big mess he sat her down at the table and told her to just relax and drink her wine.  

CJ smirked as she took a sip, she knew Toby so well, there was no way he would have been able to bear watching her destroy his clean, orderly kitchen for very long.

They sat the twins in their high chairs and tied bibs around their necks. “So they really eat spaghetti huh? I thought you were joking!” she laughed.

“Well, not so much eat spaghetti, as play with it.  They like the feel of it and we just have to hope some of it goes down their throats.”  Toby was enjoying having CJ there. He’d had the twins before, but never for this long and never with CJ. For the first time he felt like they were a family.

CJ was feeding Tom.  Each spoonful she gave him he spat into his hand and then proceeded to feed it to himself.  Sensing a pattern, CJ began to place the food directly into his hand and was surprised when he ate every mouthful.

Dessert looked revolting as far as CJ was concerned and she sincerely hoped Toby planned to feed her something a bit more appetizing than spaghetti and mashed banana.  It may have looked revolting but the kids seemed to like it and Tom seemed to like her because between each mouthful he reached out his chubby little arms and insisted on giving her a hug.  What she didn’t realize, was that with each hug came a fistful of banana that was systematically being smeared through her hair, in her ears and over the back of her t-shirt.

After the children were cleaned up, Toby announced it was time to get them ready for bed. Toby handed CJ a little body suit thing and told her to change Nicky’s diaper and put the suit on her.  CJ looked at the baby, and back at the suit, and then back to the baby - there was no way that baby would fit in that suit.  She looked over at Toby who seemed to have no such issues and decided she needed to shake him up a little.

“Toby, lets make this a bit more interesting”.

“Make what interesting?” he sighed, clearly as exhausted as she was.

“I bet I can get Nicky diapered and dressed before you can finish Tom,” she explained.  

Toby looked at her and saw she was dead serious.  “You’re on!” he said as his competitive spirit overcame his tired body.  “What’s the bet?”

CJ pretended to consider this for a few seconds before announcing, “a kiss.”

Toby closed his eyes and groaned, silently cursing Andi for making him ask CJ to help out this weekend.  As he opened his eyes he immediately saw CJ had Nicky undressed and was already beginning to diaper her.  Toby thought about sabotaging her efforts but then realized that she hadn’t clarified if the winner got kissed or had to do the kissing.  Either way he figured he’d get to kiss her, but there was his masculine pride to consider.  He began to undress his son.

They were neck and neck when they began to do up the little press fasteners that ran down the middle of the suit and down one leg.  CJ claimed to finish first and held Nicky up for inspection realizing that not all the fasteners were matched up.  Toby looked over and laughed, thinking this was one race he had in the bag.  He held Tom up to show him off in his perfectly done up suit and heard CJ snigger.

“He might get a little cold around his middle there, Pokey!” she said, pointing to the gaping hole where there appeared to be no fasteners.

After three more attempts they declared a tie and swapped children to see if they had any better luck.

“What kind of sadist invented these stupid suits?” Toby grumbled.

“I’d be guessing a man - no woman would put another woman through this kind of torture.”

After fifteen minutes and more attempts than either would ever admit to they finally had the twins dressed for bed.

CJ sat on the couch, an arm round each child, while Toby went into the kitchen to heat their milk. When he returned, he saw that the kids had snuggled into CJ and looked as if they were about to fall asleep. He gave each their bottle and smiled down at CJ.

“I’m just going to run you a bath. You might not have realized it yet, but banana face pack is not your most fetching look.”

CJ sighed. “This has been a real experience, Toby. How the hell did I manage to let you talk me into this?” She levered herself up to standing, making sure that the twins were leaning comfortably against the cushions as they drank their milk. Further investigation revealed banana in places she’d rather not think about, and a string of spaghetti in her bra. 

“You kids are gonna . .” CJ stopped in mid threat. Nicky had fallen fast asleep, her head on Tom’s arm as he sucked contentedly on the bottle. CJ was astounded at how quickly she had come to love these children - and how passionately. Tom handed her his empty bottle and she bent to take Nicky’s. It wasn’t there. CJ patted the couch with her free hand... and found the empty bottle... and a huge wet patch of warmish milk.

She lifted the sleeping children out of the way and carried them towards the bathroom. “Toby, you might want to clean up the couch a little. Nicky dropped her bottle when she fell asleep and there is a small milk lake seeping into the cushion. I’m gonna put these two in their cribs.”

Toby turned off the taps and followed CJ into the guest bedroom. He took the sleeping Nicky from her arms, kissed her softly on her curly head, and laid her gently in her crib. CJ offered Tom to his Daddy for a kiss, and then smiled as the little boy held out his arms to her for a cuddle.

CJ and Toby stood together in the dim light of the bedroom, listening to Nicky’s regular breathing and Tom’s quiet babble. They were both reluctant to break the spell. Finally, Toby put his hand on CJ’s back and guided her out of the room.

“So, what are you going to cook for me, Toby?”

“You’ll see soon enough. Go and get de-banana-ed and it’ll be ready and waiting.”

“De-banana-ed? Anyone would think you worked with words for a living . .” CJ’s voice trailed off as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, a newly fragrant CJ was sitting at the dining table, sipping at her wine when Toby appeared carrying two plates.

“Smells fantastic! You are a man of many talents, Pokey. Let me see what we’ve got, I’m starving.”

Toby put her plate in front of her. Grilled salmon fillets with baby potatoes and salad. Simple, but beautifully presented.

“I’m looking at you in a whole new way, Toby” said CJ, not sure whether she was joking or not. “You know the way to my heart - this is my kind of food. Why haven’t I forced you to cook for me before?”

Toby just smiled at her. 

They ate in companionable silence, too tired to make conversation and happy just to be there together. Suddenly, Toby stood up.

“The couch! The milk! Damn! I forgot all about it . .” he rushed out of the room. 

When he came back ten minutes later, CJ had her head on the table fast asleep. Toby grabbed the camera and FLASH. CJ sat up, “Huh? Wha .. what’s happened? What’s going on . . ?”

“Nothing CJ, you just looked so cute...” Toby grinned as CJ peered at him suspiciously. “Anyway I’ve got some bad news and some good news for you.”

“Ye-e-s?”

“The bad news is that the couch is too wet and smelly to sleep on.” CJ’s eyes widened as she realized what Toby was saying. “The good news is that I have a super-kingsize bed and I think you’re too tired to even consider molesting me tonight...”

“Me, molest you! You’ve got a nerve , Ziegler! What about you molesting me? Anyway, I bet you snore something rotten.”

“Actually, I am the perfect bed companion - or so I’ve been told.”  Toby smirked.

“Yeah, well. We’ll see about that. I’m gonna go and get ready for bed. See you in a minute.”

Toby cleared the table and switched out the lights. He popped his head into the room where his children were peacefully sleeping and watched them breathing. He didn’t think he’d ever felt happier than at this moment.

Judging that CJ must be decent by now, even if she’d had to unpack and repack her entire enormous suitcase to find something to sleep in, he wandered into the bathroom to clean his teeth.

CJ was sitting up in bed when Toby came into the bedroom, her long t-shirt covering her body to mid thigh. She pulled the sheet over her legs.

“Why do you have your bed right up against the wall?” she asked.

“I pushed it there when I thought I’d be sleeping by myself. If I have to bring either of the kids in with me, I don’t want to worry about them falling out the other side. You take the side nearest the wall, then if I have to get up in the night to tend to them, I won’t disturb you. Though why I think that you’d notice, even if they were screaming in your ear, I don’t know. How do you sleep like that?”

“It’s a talent I’ve developed over the years.” CJ shrugged as she moved to the other side of the bed. “And, believe me, it proved invaluable when sitting next to you or Josh on the Campaign bus.”

She turned on to her side and looked at him as he climbed into bed, wearing just his boxers and a t-shirt.

“I know I’m gonna regret saying this, Toby, but I’ve really enjoyed today. You are a fantastic father, you know. Don’t you wish you could be with them all the time?”

Toby put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

“Sometimes I think that, yes. That I want to be with them everyday. But they have been such a bonus in my life - something I always wanted but didn’t think I would ever have. And, you know, Andi and I could never live together even for Tom and Nicky’s sake. It would just be too ‘bloody’, if you know what I mean. So, I take what I have and give thanks.”

He turned to look at her. She was studying his face, a small crease between her eyebrows as she listened intently to him. Her fingers dancing a small, intricate pattern on the sheet. Toby paused before speaking, worried how she would to react to the intensely personal question he wanted to ask.

“CJ? Don’t you ever wonder what it would be like to have a baby of your own? You don’t have to answer... tell me it’s none of my business...” he trailed off.

“S’okay, Toby. I expect everyone has been wanting to ask me that question over the last couple of years. I don’t mind. I know the answer and I always have done. It’s got nothing to do with finding the right man or finding the right time. It’s all to do with never actually wanting to have a baby - give birth to one anyway. I mean I still can, or I assume I can, so it’s not that.” She hesitated, unsure how Toby would take what she had to say. “It’s just that I don’t want to. I don’t define my ‘womanhood’, if you want to call it that, by whether I’ve given birth or not. There are hundreds of thousands of women out there who can’t bear children and their essence is not diminished by that. You ask a woman who has adopted a child whether she loves that child any less and she’ll tear your eyes out for even thinking that she might. A woman who doesn’t want children is no less of a woman in my eyes and should be no less of a woman in the eyes of the world.”

CJ took Toby’s hand in hers and looked deep into his eyes.

“Toby, you are my best friend,...  I love your children dearly and would do anything for them. But if you asked me to have a baby with you... . I’d say no.”

Toby blinked slowly. She had never been more honest with him and although he was stunned at what she had said, he had never loved her more. He brought her hand up to his lips and placed a lingering kiss there.

“Goodnight, CJ. Sweet dreams.”

Toby lay there staring at the ceiling listening to CJ’s even breathing and mulling over what she had said.  She loved his children - did that mean she might have feelings beyond friendship for him?  And if she did, what exactly did he feel for her?  He knew she was his best friend, someone he respected deeply, even more now that he’d seen her with his kids.  He knew he lusted after her, but what man in Washington didn’t?  As he watched her sleeping form he realized he loved her, not just ‘best friend’ kind of love, but the don’t-want-to-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-without-you kind of love.  Now he had to work out what to do about it.

CJ lay there pretending to be asleep, listening to Toby’s even breathing and wishing her mind were as calm as his breathing.  Everything she had said to Toby tonight had been true, she just hadn’t expected to tell him quite so much - she mentally groaned as she remembered saying how much she loved his kids but that if he asked her, she wouldn’t want to have his baby.  Their relationship wasn’t like that - at least not for him.  During this weekend she had realized she didn’t just love her best friend - she was in love with him.  Now she had to work out what to do about it.

“Toby?” CJ whispered about ten minutes later, “what’s that noise?”

“What noise?” he asked, not really wanting to be drawn out of his thoughts by the very woman who was tormenting them.

“That snuffling noise.”

“That’s the baby monitor, CJ - go to sleep”.

“I can’t sleep with all that noise - they’re only in the next room - why the hell do you need a baby monitor?”

“Andi made me promise to keep it by the bed.” he explained.

“Did she make you promise to keep it turned on?” CJ asked, hoping there was a loophole.

“It’s broken, you can’t turn it off.”

CJ looked at the monitor and back at Toby. She knew he would never do anything against Andi’s wishes regarding the kids, but there was no way she could sleep with Toby snoring and stereophonic snuffling.  She contemplated the situation for a moment.  Before Toby knew what was happening, CJ was leaning over him, placing her enticing rear end  mere inches from his face. She unplugged the baby monitor, opened the window, took aim and hurled.  She watched it land in the garbage bin below.

Toby was sitting there, open mouthed, not believing what he had just seen.

“You can tell Andi it fell out the window in the throws of passion.” She grinned at him before she lay back down on her side facing him.

“Throws of passion?” He questioned skeptically.

“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” she told him seriously.

“CJ...there’s... .” He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t tell her what he was feeling. Instead he said, “So we declare the sleep suit competition a tie?”

“Yeah... okay... I guess that means we both get a kiss.”  She smiled at the thought.

“Or we just kiss each other...  if we each get a kiss that means we’d have to do it twice... one for each of us,” he babbled as he moved closer to her.  Just as his lips began to gently brush across hers, in what he was beginning to think might be the most spectacular kiss of his life, he heard a noise coming from the other room.

He tried to ignore it, he really did, but his paternal instincts won out over his masculine ones and he reluctantly pulled away from CJ, noting the dazed expression on her face.  “I’m sorry...  the kids”.

She raised her hand to stroke his cheek. “It’s okay, they need you. Besides, that was yours, I’ll collect mine when you get back.”  She smiled seductively at him.

CJ lay there waiting.  And waiting.  And waiting.  After an hour of waiting for Toby to return she began to regret her hasty actions with the baby monitor, at least then she would have had some idea of what was going on in the other room.  She had moved from eager anticipation to just plain irritated and set off in search of him.

She stopped the minute she got to the door of the guest room and her heart melted.  There was Toby, lying on the floor between the two cribs, sound asleep with a hand extended to each child who, in turn, had a firm grasp of his fingers.  CJ retreated and did the only thing she could.  She went straight to the living room and found the camera.  This was far too precious a moment not to capture on film.

The flash immediately woke Toby who automatically withdrew his hands from the cribs, which in turn woke the sleeping babies.  CJ sensed she was going to get the blame for this.

“What the hell... CJ?”

“Sorry,” she whispered,  “I didn’t mean to wake you, it was just such a Kodak moment,” she tried to explain unsuccessfully, having to get louder to be heard over the twins crying.

“They’re gonna have to come to bed with us, there’s no way I’ll get both of them back to sleep now,” he sighed, not quite sure which disappointed him more, the fact that he was going to spend the rest of the night with Tom kicking him in the stomach and Nicky using his face as a pillow, or that CJ wouldn’t want to collect on her kiss with two ten month old children sleeping between them.

They made their way back to Toby’s bedroom, each carrying a wide awake child.

“How are we going to do this, Toby?” asked CJ as she stood at the edge of the bed, Nicky snuggled up against her chest.

“Make out or sleep?” He looked at her, hoping that she could see the apology in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, Pokey - you still owe me. And I never forget to claim my winnings!”

“Okay, you get in first and put Nicky next to you, then I’ll lay Tom down and get in last. Just don’t count on this being easy.”

It wasn’t. CJ couldn’t fault Toby on that. Twice she had just dozed off only to be rudely awakened by chubby fingers plugging her nostrils. She opened her eyes, gasping for air and found herself eyeball to eyeball with Tom. How did that happen? Last time she’d checked, his sister had been tangling her fingers in CJ’s hair. She sat up in a panic - how could she have lost her? 

“She’s here,” Toby muttered. And she was. Lying on his chest, bottom resting over his face.

CJ snorted.

“Don’t know why you’re laughing. Forgot to tell you that Andi’s always complaining that they forget she’s not breastfeeding when they’re in bed with her.”

CJ clutched the sheet to her chest, an expression of total horror on her face.

She looked down and saw that Tom had a gleam in his eye, exactly the same as Toby. 

“Forget all about it, boys. You’re not getting any of that.”  She smiled at Toby.

“Not tonight anyway”.

When Toby finally opened his eyes the next morning it was 10 o’clock. They had struggled for hours to get the twins back to sleep and he reckoned they deserved to sleep late.

He looked over at his family. CJ was now in the middle of the bed, a sleeping child either side of her, little legs thrown over her stomach and arms draped across her chest. He contemplated getting the camera, but decided against it. He didn’t want to wake them up, he just wanted to enjoy gazing at the three people in the world who were dearest to him.

“So what’s the plan for today?” CJ asked as she sipped her second cup of coffee.

“No plan - you got any ideas?” Toby asked as he finished wiping the remnants of peanut butter toast off Tom’s face.

“Actually, Pokey, I do.”  She paused for effect.

“Well let’s hear it,” Toby said, not really sure whether he wanted to hear her ideas or not.  So far this weekend she had managed to keep him so off balance with her flirting that he had no idea whether she actually found him attractive or whether she was just doing it to get a reaction out of him.

“I think we should go shopping.”

“Yeah cos that’s what you do with two ten month old kids,” he replied sarcastically.

“Hear me out,” she said holding up her hand. “The way I see it, this weekend with us having the kids has been a success, and with Andi running for congress in a few months time she is going to be flat out campaigning.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly, not quite sure what this had to do with shopping.

“Well, instead of the nanny looking after the kids while she is away, I thought she might let us... I mean you, have them,” she said, mentally kicking herself for her mistake.  Toby was her best friend, they were not a couple -  as much as she had now decided she would like them to be.

Toby took her hand. He had his answer. She was flirting because she found him attractive, she wanted to be part of his life as much as he wanted to be part of hers. 

 “No ,CJ.  Us, definitely us.  This weekend has been amazing. I have seen a whole new side of you that I always suspected was there but you never let anyone see.  If the kids are here, I want you here.”  He took a deep breath and continued, it was now or never.  “If the kids aren’t here ... I still want you here.”

He looked into her eyes and she smiled at him.  “I want to be here with you, and the kids, mashed banana and all.”  She laughed as she bent forward to place a big kiss on Nicky and Tom’s foreheads.

“Do I get one of those?” Toby asked.  CJ bent down and planted a big kiss on his forehead too. 

 “Wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

“It’ll have to do for the moment - when I kiss you I want to be able to do it properly, without any interruptions.”  She looked meaningfully at the two grinning babies.  “So, let’s hit the shops.”

“Okay, but  I still haven’t made the connection,” he admitted, sure this was some plot of CJ’s to get him shopping for clothes.

“If WE are going to have the twins more often and for overnight stays, we need to get some supplies so Andi doesn’t have to pack up everything they own to bring them over here,” she told him logically.

“Okay - good point.” Toby sighed, knowing this was going to be an expensive trip.  CJ had that I’m-going-shopping-with-someone-else’s-credit-card look in her eyes, but for this woman and his kids he would willingly equal the national debt.  “Well, let’s go shopping!” he said as enthusiastically as he could.

CJ had been expecting more of a battle to get Toby to Toys R Us.  “Hey kids I’m gonna teach you how to spend your daddy’s money - watch and learn,” she said with enough enthusiasm to have Toby groaning. “We’re getting TOYS!”  The twins had no idea what she was saying but they were babbling equally as excitedly and Toby was wondering when he was going to find the time for a second job.

Two hours and nearly a thousand dollars later and the new Ziegler-Cregg part-time family were back at Toby’s apartment.

Toby had had to make three trips to the car just to unload it as CJ finished feeding two very tired children.  They could just about drag one foot in front of the other.

“Once we’ve packed up all of Andi’s things, there’ll be more room, don’t worry, Pokey.” CJ tried to reassure Toby as he looked in dismay at the chaos around.

“CJ, you know I’m really not sure who got the most out of this trip. I know we had to buy highchairs and changing mats and practical stuff like that . . but did they really need so many new clothes? And, my God . . . the toys!” He picked his way over to her, careful not to stand on any of the vast selection of playthings and videos littering the carpet.

“You really are just a big kid yourself, aren’t you, sweetheart?” Toby stroked CJ’s cheek and grinned at her.

“Toby?”

“Mmmm?” He was enjoying the feel of her skin under his fingertips.

“Did you just call me ‘sweetheart’?” CJ doubled up with laughter. “Honestly, Toby,” she wiped the tears from her eyes, “Do I look like a ‘sweetheart’ to you?”

Toby tilted his head to whisper in her ear and CJ’s face turned a beautiful pink.

“Fine, fine, call me whatever you want - just don’t expect me not to laugh.” She narrowed her eyes, “And if I find those photographs within ten feet of the West Wing, I’ll be forced to reveal a few secrets of my own....”

CJ turned back to supervise her charges, who she thought were being unnaturally quiet. Her eyes skimmed the kitchen. No sign of them.

“Toby...” she called, an element of panic in her voice.

“It’s okay, CJ. I can see them.”

Walking in the direction of Toby’s voice, CJ found herself at the door to the bedroom. She followed his gaze and saw two little bodies curled up together on the rug at the foot of the bed. Toby carefully lifted his children on to the bed as near to the wall side as possible.

“You get in with them, CJ. I’ll just sort out the rest of the unpacking and get Andi’s stuff ready for this afternoon.”

She looked at him steadily.

“Then I’ll come and join you. I promise!” Toby gave her a gentle push towards the bed and the sleeping children. He watched as she slipped off her jeans and folded her long frame under the sheet.

“Don’t be long, Pokey. You still owe me a kiss and I’m waiting to collect.”

*

When Andi couldn’t get an answer to her knock, she decided to use the key that Toby had given her. She thought that the weekend may have been tougher than they expected and she wouldn’t have been surprised if they were out driving the Beltway just to try and get the kids to sleep. Lord knows she’d done it more than once.

She was pleased that CJ had agreed to help Toby this weekend. She knew it was a long time to spend alone with two kids under a year old, and although Toby loved them dearly, some adult company made it so much more palatable. Especially if CJ were that company. Andi had quite a few theories about CJ and Toby, and was hoping that this weekend might have woken them up a little. That is, if they were still speaking.

“Hello? Toby?” She walked into the hallway and stopped. All her equipment was stacked neatly against the wall as she had expected, but instead of the pristine order that was usually left, all Andi could see was toys, and more toys. And videos. And books. All organized beautifully, of course, but still enough to spill over on to every available surface. She walked into the kitchen. There, right before her eyes, were two state-of-the-art highchairs and to the left, on the counter, a stack of bottles and plastic nipples and baby bowls and plates.

Bewildered, but with the dawning of understanding breaking over her face, Andi went in search of more surprises. She walked into the guest bedroom, noting that Tom and Nicky’s names were stuck in colorful letters on the door. Lying in the cribs were hangers of clothes in various styles. There was a giant box of diapers right next to two new changing mats and an economy pack of baby wipes completed the picture.

The biggest surprise hit her when she opened the door to Toby’s bedroom. She turned quickly, running back to the living room and grabbed the camera she had seen on the coffee table.

FLASH.

No movement. 

Nicky was still sleeping with her arm wrapped round her brother’s neck. Tom, in turn, was snuffling softly as he lay in the middle of the bed, his left hand gently gripping CJ’s nose.  CJ was completely unconscious in her usual CJ style (now legendary in political circles) but her back spooned tightly against Toby’s stomach, her fingers laced with his. And Toby. Toby was snoring quietly, an expression of peace on his face that Andi hadn’t seen in years. His arm was wrapped around CJ as if he would never let her go and his forehead nestled snugly at the back of her neck.

She settled down to wait.

Just as she was dozing off, Andi heard the unmistakable sound of her son’s backside.

“One, two, three...”

Toby shot out of the bedroom.

“Oh God! What’s that smell... ?” He fell over his feet and landed up on the floor.

“Andi! What are you doing here?” Toby looked up at his ex-wife in amazement. She was completely helpless with laughter.

“Toby - you’ve heard me talk about Tom’s gas when he wakes up after a nap...  have you been giving him peanut butter?

Andi laughed even harder at the expression on Toby’s face.

“I suppose CJ is sleeping through it? Even though I noticed her face was a bit too close to the danger zone for comfort?”

Toby jumped up. “What do you mean ‘you noticed’? What do you ...? How long have you...?” He gave up and slumped down beside her.

“Aww come on, Pokey. I saw the two of you. If that’s not love, I don’t know what it is. You telling me that CJ Cregg would change diapers for just any man?” Andi shook her head and got up. “Come on, let’s go and look at our children. I’ve missed them, you know. And I really appreciate you and CJ coming to my rescue.” She put her arm round him and led him back to the bedroom.

CJ woke to a wet sensation on her stomach.  Her eyes flew open to see two little heads blowing raspberries on her stomach.  If she hadn’t loved these kids so much she would have been horrified, instead she burst out laughing.  This of course bought Toby and Andi running to her rescue.  As they arrived they saw her extract the little people from her stomach and begin tickling them.  

“Just remember, you guys I’m going to be around for a lot of years and I have a very, very, very long memory, so when you break curfew and want someone to cover for you with your mom and dad - I’m gonna remember the razzing,” she paused and blew her own raspberries on their stomachs, “and I’ll cover for you anyway,” she sighed and kissed their chubby little cheeks.

“Great, we’re going to have one of the world’s greatest spinners covering for our children.”  Andi turned to look at her ex-husband, who had the most sappy expression on his face she had ever seen.  These two were going to be nauseating to be around.

CJ noticed Toby and Andi standing by the door.  Toby was wearing the most sappy expression on his face she had ever seen.  She was going to have to do something to snap him out of this lovesickness otherwise he was going to be unbearable.

 “Hey you two, just letting these guys know what their futures hold.”  She grinned.

“Yeah, so we heard,” Andi said looking at her trying to determine what exactly this woman’s relationship was with her ex-husband.  It certainly sounded like she planned to be part of the twins lives for a long time.  She smiled at the thought.

“Well, I figure with you two as parents they might need the mistress of subterfuge on their side.”  She scooped the twins up and jumped out of bed only remembering at the last minute she had removed her jeans before climbing into bed.  She handed the kids to their parents and said, “I’ll just get some clothes on and meet you in the living room.”

“Don’t get dressed on my account.”  Toby grinned wickedly.

“I wasn’t,” she stated as she pushed him out the door.  She guessed it was only fair that Andi knew about her and Toby’s new relationship, she just wanted a bit more time to get used to it herself, although, if Toby kept looking at her like he had been this weekend she doubted it would be a secret for very long.

She joined Toby and Andi in the living room a couple of minutes later.  As soon as she entered, Andi asked Toby to start taking stuff down to her car.  Toby looked from one woman to the other wondering if he should make up some excuse and stay.  After all this was the President’s Press Secretary and a United States Congresswoman, they were capable of doing or saying anything.

“Toby, go! I don’t think you need to stay and protect me from your ex-wife.”  CJ and Andi exchanged a smile and both burst out laughing.

Toby left wondering what the hell he had done to deserve this, the mother of his children and the love of his life were going to be ganging up on him for the rest of his life and he was sure they were going include Nicky as she got older.  He just hoped he and Tom were manly enough to stand up to the three them but he doubted it.  They already had him wrapped around their little fingers and after today he had the credit card bill to prove it.  It was only a matter of time until they sucked poor, innocent little Tom into their web of feminine wiles.

“So,” Andi said looking at CJ with a grin on her face.

“So,” CJ responded with a matching grin.  They sat there in silence for a few seconds before Andi could bear it no more.

“Well, I’m not blind - are you and Toby together?” Andi asked casting a sideways glance at the door, not wanting her ex-husband to catch her grilling CJ about their relationship.

“Not at the moment - you sent him to pack your car,” CJ deadpanned.

“CJ!”

“Yes, okay, we are together, but it’s new, we don’t want anyone at work to know...” She left the rest unspoken.

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”  Andi crossed her hand over her heart as she said it.  “But you know they are all going to work it out the minute they see you two in the same room - the air is positively sizzling with sexual tension.”  She laughed.

“Yes, well, if you would stop grilling me and go home, I was planning to spend the rest of the afternoon looking after that particular problem.” CJ grinned at the thought of Toby’s face when she told him of her plans for the rest of the afternoon and for the night.

“Okay, never let it be said I can’t take a hint,” Andi joked, scooping up the babies.  

CJ leant forward and gave them each a big kiss on the forehead.

As Andi drove away from Toby’s, she grinned to herself. Her plan had worked far better than she had ever hoped.  She knew there was more to those two than either were admitting - she had just expected them both to be far more stubborn about admitting their feelings. 

Much, much later, as she looked in the bathroom mirror, CJ decided her plan had backfired.  After the most incredible six hours she had ever spent in bed, and in the living room, and in the kitchen, and in the Jacuzzi, and up against the bedroom door, she now wore the same sappy expression as Toby.

Waiting on her desk the next day at work was an envelope of photographs with a note attached:

‘CJ

Thought you might like a copy of these family snaps!

Andi’

Thinking Andi was sending her some baby photos of the twins, she opened the envelope just as Carol walked into the office and around the desk to look over her boss’s shoulder.

“Carol!  What if these had been photos of some man and I...you know?”

“CJ, if you can’t even say it, I doubt you’ve got photos of it!” Carol laughed, snatching the photos out of her boss’s hand.  “But then I have been known to be mistaken,” Carol said handing CJ the top photo of the four of them in bed together.

“It would do me absolutely no good to tell you it’s not what it looks like, right?”

“Right.” Carol continued to flick through the photos, noting CJ’s obvious love for Toby’s children.

“I would prefer this to stay between us for the moment,” CJ told her assistant meaningfully.

“Sure, no problem.” Carol smirked, thinking about the meeting the President had in fifteen minutes.  She doubted it was going to stay a secret very long after that.

Twenty minutes later Carol popped her head into CJ’s office, “The President would like to see you if you have a moment.”

“Sure, tell them I’ll be right over.”

As she was walking the hall to the Oval Office, she ran into Toby for the first time since they arrived at work, late, that morning.  “You been summoned too?” he asked.

They immediately stopped walking and looked at each other.

“No, he couldn’t possibly know - we’re just being paranoid.”  She smiled as they continued walking.

They stopped dead in their tracks as they saw who was sitting talking to the President. 

“CJ, Toby, sit down. I don’t need to introduce Congresswoman Wyatt to either of you.”

CJ and Toby sat hesitantly both focused on the photos the President was holding.

“Andi was just showing me the latest photos of the twins and I have to say these captured my interest far more than normal baby photos.”

“Ah, yes,  Sir.   Well, CJ and I can explain,” Toby said looking at CJ, hoping she was thinking on her feet -  thinking up a  really good reason why she featured so heavily in the photos of his children.  CJ looked calm - great she had a plan, he’d sit back and let her do what she did best - actually second best, he decided after their incredible afternoon and night together.

“Well, I’m waiting,” the President said, expecting a response from one of them.

“Well, Sir, with all due respect, Toby and I spent all afternoon yesterday and most of last night in bed trying to define our relationship.”

Toby nearly choked and Andi sat there trying not to laugh at the expression on the President and Toby’s faces.

“And... ” the President asked, not really sure whether he wanted to hear the answer.

“We got sidetracked, so I thought I’d go over there tonight and try again - actually when I think about it, this may take a while so can we get back to you on that one?”

Andi could contain her laughter no longer. “Ah, guys - you just outed yourselves for no reason - I wasn’t showing him those photos, these were just of Nicky and Tom.”

CJ and Toby looked at each other, horrified by what had just happened.

“Then why did they capture your interest?” Toby thundered at the President.

“Because aside from all that hair they both look just like you.  Now I’m far more interested in the seeing the photos you thought Andi was showing me!”  He laughed at the stricken looks on their faces.

The End


End file.
